Lillies
by scarlet letters in the snow
Summary: Shikamaru meets Ino for the first time at age six. is it love? collections of ONESHOTs & INOSHIKA 5 YR OLD, cute LOVE
1. Chapter 1

_HELLO ALL!_

he he

just a little ShikaXIno love one shot.

* * *

**he had to admit that at that moment in time he was undoubtedly, a chicken.**

he never thought that a little girl in a purple dress could make his day a little more interesting.

**he was dead wrong.**

* * *

Shikamaru laid down in the sandbox, sand pooling inside of his shorts and shoes as he stared up at the clouds with a scowl.

Today, he was not happy. His mother had brought him to the park to play, but so far it had been uneventful for the six and a half year old, and so he sat in the small sandbox sulking all by himself...That is until his mother's friend arrived, and with her she brought her daughter.

Shikamaru sat up haughtily, his small, slightly chubby, tan fingers gripping his shovel and pail as he stood and walked to a near by bench, where his mother sat, chatting it up with her old friend, Mrs. Yamanaka.

Yoshino looked down at her son, a smile tugging at her lips. "Shikamaru, I have someone I would like you to meet." She said softly, waving her hand towards the other older woman.

A small girl, with short blond hair peered out from behind her mother, with unsure cerulean ovals. Her hands were fingering the ribbon on her violet dress, the lavender ribbon sliding between her fingers as she nervously stepped forward finding a little more security when her mother placed a hand on her back and pushed her gently towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru looked at her, wide eyed and curious as she continued to walk forward. "M-my name i-i-is Ino." She managed, looking down at her lavender shoes bashfully.

Shikamaru cocked his head to the side, then stuck his hand out, looking off to his right as he waited for her to take it. "Mines is Shikamaru." He huffed, his cheeks turning a deep scarlet as he felt her hand slide between his own.

"Well will you look at that," Yoshino sighed, giggling at her long time friend. "You too go play now, Ino's mother and I need to talk about grown-up matters."

Shikamaru sighed and deemed his mother "_twoublesome_" as he swiftly pulled Ino, even if she did resist at first, off towards a patch of dark green grass.

He sat down however, choosing that he had not wanted to play, but instead watch the giant puffs of white in the sky float off behind the trees. He pulled his hand away from her own, and wiped it on his tan trousers, making sure to get the cooties off.

"D-do you want to pick flowers?" Ino whispered, looking over at him with a smile dancing across her small lips.

Shikamaru looked at her in disgust, then placed his hands behind his head, as if he was going to relax. "Picking flowers is for girls." He said simply, closing his eyes and listening to the wind rustle against the grass.

Ino huffed, crossing her arms as she turned to him. "Is not! My daddy owns a flower shop!" She protested, gripping her ribbon tightly.

"Then your daddy, is a girl." He said, smiling in satisfaction, as that had seriously shut the blond haired Preschooler up.

"IS NOT!" She yelled, stamping her foot against the ground with such a force Shikamaru should have noticed, before he opened his mouth to reply.

"Is too." Shikamaru said calmly, peering over at her with one eye cracked open.

"UGH!" He groaned, eyes shooting open as the immense pressure of Ino pouncing on him caused them to smack foreheads.

Ino's hand gripped his hair tightly in her balled fist, as she tugged as hard as she could. Shikamaru grabbed hold of her dress and yanked on it, sending them toppling over in the grass, Shikamaru looking down at her with a scowl.

"LET GO!" She yelled, tugging his hair out by the roots.

"Let go of me first!" He grumbled, blinking furiously as tears came into his eyes. "THAT HURTS!" He growled, his other hand grasping her arm as tightly as he could.

"OUCH!" Ino snarled, biting his hand as hard as she could.

Shikamaru released her quickly, and tried to pry his hand out of her mouth. "LET GO YOU SAVAGE!" He screamed, placing his foot on her head and practically shoving her head into the ground.

Ino released his hand and shoved his foot from her face, tears welling up in her eyes. "Your so mean!" She cried, running back to her mother.

Shikamaru stood there, looking down at a lavender ribbon that was securely clenched between his bleeding fingers.

"_Troublesome girl_." He thought, scowling as his mother charged over to him like an angry bull.

"Nara Shikamaru! You get your little behind over here right this second!" His mother growled, her hand raised as she grew ever closer.

"_Ah, man_." He thought, as his mother grabbed him by his arm and dragged him home.

"Just wait until your father gets home." She threatened, pulling him past the bench where Ino and her mother sat, her mother looking at the foot sized bruise that started to form on her forehead.

He glowered at her as he was pulled away, recieving a pink tongue and a smirk as he was pulled around the corner.

* * *

Shikamaru laid on his bed quietly, watching the rain pelt against his window pane with a sigh. "_It's like the clouds are crying for me_." He thought as he hears the front door slam closed.

"Great, dad's home." He thought, looking around his room for something to prevent his father's entry. Like it or not, he was going to get the worst spanking his bottom had ever faced, and all because of some stupid little girl.

Shikamaru pulled the lavender ribbon out from his pocket, and rubbed it between his fingers. "It's soft," He mumbled, listening to the sounds of his mother, angrily telling Shikato what his son had done today.

He heard a sigh, and the slow, but menacing footsteps that followed as his father walked up the stairs to Shikamaru's bedroom.

Shikamaru laid on his side, back facing the wall, and his eyes on the door.

The door opened so slowly, that he had thought maybe it hadn't moved at all, but the clicking of the door knob as it turned told him, that he was wrong. Shikamaru watched as his father's foot came through the door way, then his leg, and the whole other half of his body. His face was lined with weariness, most likely from the mission he had just gotten home from, and his facial hair was thick and coarse around his chin and throat. Shikamaru blinked a few times, not fully realizing it was his father until he saw the way he walked into the room, pushing the door shut with his foot, then leaning against the wooden door with a solemn expression.

"You promised me you would be good while I was away, Shikamaru." His father started, shrugging his Jounin vest off and laying it on a small wooden rocking chair, that his father had made, that was sitting by the door.

Shikamaru's eyes started to water, but he fought back the tears his father had brought upon him by those simple words, his mouth pressed tightly into a small scowl.

"It isn't my fault -"

"Save it, Shikamaru." His father said suddenly, his giant fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose, as he thought of a suitable punishment.

Shikamaru sat up slowly, his fingers digging into the green sheets on his bed. He looked down at his knuckled, that were turning white from the clenching. He wither didn't notice his father walk slowly over to the bed, and sit down beside him, or he simply was too preoccupied thinking of a way to save his bottom than to care.

Shikato placed a hand on his sons shoulder, and a sly smile graced his fathers tired face. "You will receive your punishment tomorrow, as of now, go wash up." He said, patting some dirt off of his sons shirt. "Dinner will be ready any time now, and I don't want to hear any complaints." He said, as he stood walking over to the door slowly, he turned towards his son. "and you better look like I beat the snot out of you when you come down to eat, or I really will give you the punishment your mother thinks you deserve."

Shikamaru nodded to his father, and sat up slowly, a scowl reappearing on his features. "_If punishment is tomorrow, it must be worser than a spanking_." Shikamaru thought, as he dragged his way to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. Leaving a little purple ribbon laying on his bed...

**

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**

**-The next day-**

Shikamaru woke up to his father's deep voice, telling him to get up.

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand drowsily, then slipped off of the bed with a groan. "What daddy?" He said, looking up at his father's long legs.

"Time to recieve your punishment." He said, walking out of his sons room and waiting in the hall. "Come one son! we don't got all day."

Shikamaru slipped his shoes on and ran out his door, clutching a small purple ribbon.

--

They walked two blocks, Shikamaru's father infront, whistling some sort of slow tune, Shikamaru following insuit behind, his head bowed flow as he watched his father's footsteps.

They arrived at a fairly large shop, reading "Yamanaka flowers". Shikamaru gulped, following his father into the small shop and scowling at the fresh smell of lillies that filled the air. That girl had smelt the same way.

"Shikamaru," His father grumbled, grabbing his son by the arm and pulling him up to the counter, where a man with long blond hair, that reached his shoulders sat, his mouth shaped into a handsome smirk. "Tell the man what you want."

Shikamaru looked back at his father, not really comprehending. "Go on, tell him you want to apologize for the way you acted yesterday towards his daughter."

Shikamaru gulped, looking the muscular man before him up and down for a moment. "_I hope she didn't say I called him a woman.."_ He thought, before clearing his throat.

"I wish to apologize for my rude and animalistic behavior." He said, looking off to the side with a scowl. "Gomen, Mr. Yamanaka."

Inoichi smiled at the boy, but shook his head. "I'm not the one you should apologize to kiddo, your going to have to tell it to Ino."

Shikamaru sighed inwardly, registering the strong grip his father administrated against his small arms, he groaned. "Yes, sir."

He felt his father release him, and he stumbled slightly as he walked towards where the man was pointing, behind the counter.

Shikamaru walked through the back door of the flower shop and sighed, looking at all the exotic plants that were sitting upon shelves, he spotted a small girl, around his age, pressed between the rows of flowers, hummign as she poured water onto their roots.

"Uhm, excuse me." He said quietly, his demeanor changing as soon as he saw it was Ino. "But I just came by to-"

"Go away meanie!" She said, glaring up at him, as she hovered over her small white flowers.

Shikamaru sighed, and did what any boy would do, rolled his eyes. "Listen here blondie-" He started, before hearing his father "ahem." Behind him.

Shikamaru took a shaking breath, his hands clenching as he looked over at the girl, in a lavender dress. His hand immediately went to his pocket, where he pulled out the small ribbon.

"I just wanted to apologize for being a stupid meanie," He said, walking towards her with his hand held out.

Ino looked at him cautiously, her eyes still slanted into a threatening glare.

"I brought back yoru ribbon." He said quietly, opening his fingers so that she could se the small peice of cloth.

Ino smiled, rolling his fingers back over the ribbon. "I'll forgive you if you promise me one thing." She said, trailing off to look up at him with her big, shining cerulean eyes.

"What is it?" Shikamaru said, looking up at her suspiciously.

"You have to promise, then I'll tell you." She said carefully, her hand squeezing his a bit to show that she meant it.

"Fine, I promise, now what is it?" He said, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Ino leaned forward and kissed his nose. "Don't ever make fun of flowers again."

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What do you think? lol?

please review me...

I really want to know how I did.

I think i did fairly well.


	2. Little Yellow Flowers

_HELLO ALL!_

he he

just another ONE SHOT

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-

Shikamaru, at age six and three-fourths, was the most intelligent boy, since his father. Although he hid it very well behind his lazy exterior and to almost everyone else, he was a very different sort of child, and that is why when Ino came up to him, her eyes blood red and her cheeks stained with tears, he did not run off blindly to get revenge. He merely sat there, looking at Ino with the calmest expression she had ever seen.

"Why don't you just punch them like you do me?" He said, looking off towards a group of girls that sat on the swings, laughing and pointing at Ino.

"Because they are bigger than me, Shika-kun!" She pouted, her arms crossed over her chest.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and laid down against his tree, staring out at the clouds from under the leaves. "Go away Ino." He said, his eyes closing slowly, as he listened for anymore of her annoying nagging, but he heard none, and a satisfied smirk appeared upon his face as he heard her stomp away.

--

Shikamaru sat against his tree, studying the girls that sat on the swings, laughing and playing like girls normally did.

He scoffed as he stood up, walking around the area the girls were at, on the edges of the trees with his survival guide in his hand.

At last he spotted it! The perfect things girls liked! Plants!

Shikamaru picked a bundle of yellow flowers and then, like he had seen Inoichi do a thousand times while he was playing at the Flower Shop with Ino, he stuck some 'greenary' around it. He walked over to the swings smiling, a napkin folded around the ends of his bouquet, where he held it. "Ahem." He cleared his throat as he walked up to the girls.

A black headed one looked his way with a scowl, then upon seeing the flowers in his hand, she began to smile.

Shikamaru blushed and held the flowers out to the girl with hopeful eyes. She must have been three years older than he, and so she thought that in an act of kindness, some cute little six year old, gave her a bouquet of yellow flowers.

"For me?" She asked, causing the other girls to look at him with glares.

"W-well," He stuttered, looking at his feet as he pulled the bouquet closer. "I actually made it for all of you, because you are all just so pretty."

The girls smiled down at him, and the one with the black hair reached out and grabbed the bouquet, her face beaming.

The other girls stood around her, patting and cooing around Shikamaru, until finally, their mother's had called them back over.

Shikamaru walked away with a smirk, dropping the napkin and walking away with his hands in his pockets. "Better go wash my hands so I don't accidentally touch myself." He thought as he walked towards his home.

Ino sat in the bushes, watching as Shikamaru walked away with tears in her eyes. _"How could he give flowers to the girls that had hurt me?" _She thought angrily, wiping her tears as she stood from her hiding place. "I'll show him." She vowed, running off towards her house.

--

Shikamaru walked out of his bathroom with a smug look on his face, oh Ino would love him for this.

--

Ino sat on her bed, looking at the birthday present she had gotten him. She scowled at the blue wrapping paper with clouds on it, which had taken her a whole day to make, and had used all of her blue and white crayons on. "Double crosser." She said, kicking the box and storming out of the room with her fists clenched.

--

Shikamaru walked through the store, his hand clasped firmly in his mother's own as he scanned the shelves for somthing she might like.

"Do you know something that Ino likes?" Yoshino said to her son, looking at the taller shelves with little interest.

Shikamaru looked up at his mother with an emotionless face. "I don't know." He grumbled, letting go of his mother's hand and walking around the store, until he saw it, the perfect gift.

* * *

The next day rolled around, and Shikamaru walked slowly, along side his mother and father, to Ino's house, holding a lavender gift bag.

"What did you get her, son?" His father, Shikato said, his hand resting on his sons head.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and brushed his father's hand off of his head. "Eh." He grumbled, walking slightly ahead of his parent's as if to avoid any other questions.

Yoshino smiled at Shikato warmly, leaning against his arm as they walked behind their son.

--

Ino sighed, leaning against the picnic table with her hand on her cheek, her mouth forming a tight line.

"They will get here soon." Her mother said, sitting beside her daughter with a smile. "What's wrong dear?" She said, stroking her daughter's blond hair.

"Shikamaru is a butthead." Ino mumbled, her arms crossing over her chest.

"What did he do, honey?" She asked, her head tilting to the side.

"He gave these mean girls flowers." She said, looking away with a sniffle.

"Why did he do that?" Mrs. Yamanaka said, turning towards her daughter.

"I don't know, but he is stupid." Ino declared, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Oh honey im sure that he had his reasons- Oh look they are here Ino!" Her mother exclaimed, hurrying over to Shikamaru's mother and giving her a giant hug.

-

Ino watched as Shikamaru walked over to her with his usual scowl, his hands behind his back. She glared at him as he walked up and pulled a bag out from behind his back, holding it out to her. "Sorry I'm late, Ino."

Ino's eyes narrowed as he looked at the bag. "Yea, you are late." She said, snatching the bag from him and dropping it on the ground, although no one else, the adults, seemed to notice.

Shikamaru looked up at her, his eyes widened up in surprise. "What'd you do that for, troublesome girl?"

Ino scoffed at him, her eyebrows raisign to her hair line as she placed a small pale hand on her hip. "Because your a big traitor!" She yelled, pushing him away from her and running away.

Shikamaru stared after her, then looked down at the lavender bag and picked it up, carrying it with him in the direction Ino had ran off too.

--

Shikamaru heard the sound of Ino crying, as he walked into the green house. He looked around, quietly searching for his sobbing friend. "Ino?" He said, bending down and peeking at the girl under the rows of plants on the table, her knees pulled up to her chin. "Ino, why are you mad at me?" He sighed, crawling under the table and sitting beside her.

Ino looked up from behind her knees, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Because- you- you gave those mean girls flowers." She said, pulling away from him as he reached a hand out to her.

"But Ino...I gave them Poison Ivy."

**_

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_**

What do you think?

_please review me..._

_I really want to know how I did._

_I think i did fairly well._

_The disclaimer because I didn't put it at the top: I don't own naruto or any of the other characters._

-


	3. The Nothing Notes

**The Nothing Notes**

_by: ScarletLettersInTheSnow_

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Ino stood with her face in her hands, her fingers wrapped around her eyes like binoculars, looking up from the hot pavement to the grass where Shikamaru lay looking at the clouds.

"Shikamaru!" She called, her voice loud and boisterous as she waved her tiny arm around in the air. She watched his head turn in her general direction, before it plopped back on the ground and didn't move again. Her eyes slanted dangerously as she skipped over, a hand on her hip as she hovered over him.

"Hey Shika-kun." She purred, looking down at him with a Cheshire grin.

Shikamaru merely grunted "Yo," at her, before his eyes clamped shut again.

"Do you know what today is?" She asked, pressing her fingers into the miniature pocket on her dress.

Shikamaru sighed and held his hand up in the air, shielding his face from the sunlight. "No."

"Well let me remind you, Today you were supposed to come play house with me." She pouted, her hands instantly locking on her hips as he snorted in disgust.

"You know I hate playing house." He mumbled, squinting an eye at her.

"But you promised you would play if I watched clouds with you...and I did watch clouds with you." She murmured, her lips puckering cutely as she looked down at her shoes.

"Hn."

"Please Shika-kun?" She said, dropping down on her knees beside him and wrapping her little fingers around his own dirty ones. "I will be a good play wife." She batted her eyelashes sweetly.

"I don't have to eat mud again..do I?" He asked cautiously, pulling his hand away slowly.

"NO!" She gasped, like it was the worst thing in the world. Which to Shikamaru, it was pretty darn close.

"Fine." He grumbled, putting his hands beside his knees and pushing himself up. "I'll play house with you."

"Yay!" She cheered, throwing her chubby arms around his neck and kissing him sloppily beside the lips.

"Blegh! None of that kissy stuff!" He growled menacingly, bringing the back of his hand to his cheek and wiping off the slobber. Leaving a smudge of dirt where his wrist had been.

"Okay okay..here is your first clue!" She said excitedly.

Shikamaru looked at her blankly, before opening the piece of paper and reading it.

"It is under the big oak tree? What does that mean?" He asked, looking up to see that she was no longer standing in front of him. His brows furrowed slightly, but he shrugged and looked at the big oak tree that stood tall in the middle of the park, just down his hill. He sighed and meandered over to it.

* * *

Shikamaru pressed his hand against the tree trunk of the large oak tree, his eyes wandering up the stalky tree to it's branches, where a basket hung low to the ground.

Shikamaru sighed, wondering how Ino climbed the tree in the first place, as he jumped up and tugged it down.

Inside the basket was a little bow tie, which was a dark red color, and a small bud of a rose, the stem a deep green color. Beside these items, lay a small note.

"In the tire swing?" Shikamaru walked around the tree and looked out over the grass, his eyes settling on the tire swing with a heavy sigh.

He slowly walked away from the tree, the bow tie and rose bud clutched carefully between his chubby, tan fingers.

He bent down next to the tire swing, his hand touching a piece of paper, with a small peppermint taped to it.

"Pet the tie on?" Shikamaru sighed and pressed the clip on tie to the collar of his shirt, and clipped it there, then looked back down at the note. "Take the peppermint to the green bench by the Ice cream stand."

Once again, Shikamaru turned and walked with his hands pressed deep inside his pockets, clutching the note, and the peppermint as he drug his feet across the ground.

He came upon the tree shortly, and looked up at the man with his strange hat.

"Are you Shikamaru?" The man asked.

Shikamaru squinted his eyes suspiciously, but nodded.

"Good, a little girl told me to give this to you..then she ran off giggling." The man looked confused, but handed Shikamaru a small shoe box.

--

Ino sat down on the blanket, smoothing out her new dress with a small smile. She wondered if Shikamaru was actually doing the scavenger hunt, or if he had simply gone home. She didn't think so though, because he said he would play. And Shikamaru was not a liar.

She picked up her ribbon and twirled it idly between her fingers, her smile spreading across her lips as she tied it into her hair.

--

Shikamaru walked over to the green bench and sat down, his fingers prying the lid of the Shoe box open with a sigh.

He looked inside and growled, finding a NOTHER piece of paper. _When was Ino going to get to the point?_ He thought gripping the paper tightly as he read it over.

"Eat the peppermint dumbo, your breath stinks." His eyebrows went up, and he reached into his pocket and pried the red and white swirly candy out of the package, popping it into his mouth. "Now look under the green bench."

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he spotted the dollar taped to the bottom of the bench, a note taped beside it. Where did Ino get all this tape?

"Now go to the candy store...and get me a ring pop."

Shikamaru growled and crumpled the paper up, throwing it on the ground and storming down the sidewalk.

-ding ding-

Shikamaru looked up at the man at the counter, his little ponytail the only thing visible as he walked through the isles of candy, when finally he spotted the ring pop. He grabbed it, the cherry kind, because that was her favorite flavor, and brought it to the counter, sliding the dollar to the clerk.

"One ring pop, please."

The man smiled down at him, then a flicker of recognition shown in his eyes.

"Are you..the um...Shika-kun I was supposed to give this too?"

Shikamaru sighed and nodded, as the man handed him a piece of paper. that read '**BACKYARD**' in bold letters.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and crumpled the paper up.

"It was the strangest thing.." The clerk said to himself wistfully.."That blond haired girl just skipped in and shoved it on the counter...telling me that if I didn't give this to her Shika-kun she would make her daddy beat me up."

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose to his hairline, his grimace only growing deeper as the man handed him back the ring pop in a white paper bag.

--

With impatience Shikamaru walked briskly, eager to get whatever this stupid game was over and done with.

He arrived at her home in under five minutes, storming to the backyard gate and slipping through, a small note on it's surface caught his eyes.

"Get out the flower?" Shikamaru looked at the gate puzzled, but pulled the rose bud from his pocket anyway.

He was just rounding the corner when he stopped, eyes wide as he looked at Ino, sitting quietly on a blanket.

--

Ino picket the petals off of a love-me-not, her eyes focused on the last one with a small smile. "Love me?" She asked, looking up at the sound of the gate creaking in protest.

When Shikamaru rounded the corner and slowly walked towards her

--

"W-what are you doing?" He asked, his fingers trembling as she thrust herself against him, knocking him down and showering his face with kisses.

"Silly, we are getting married."

Shikamaru groaned.


	4. You Were Wrong

**Of Dirt cakes and Mud pies...You were wrong.**

_by: ScarletLettersInTheSnow_

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_

Shikamaru laid flat on his back, his hand held up to the sky as he closed his fingers, one by one. His eyes trained on the puffy white masses floating idly by. He let his hand drop back down to his stomach, wincing as his arm hit a button- a button?

Well if you must ask why he hit his arm on a button, the only answer he could give you was that he was in a tuxedo. And why was he in an tuxedo you might ask? He could not tell you.

Although this young boy, Seven years of age as of two weeks ago was intellegent, he could not answer that question.

He had simply found the thing on his bed when he came home from Ino's house, after their...'wedding'. Shikamaru shuddered involuntarily. And his mother had told him to put it on, and to keep clean, because they were supposedly going to some party that evening.

That would be easier than his mother imagined, because you see, Shikamaru had not intention of moving from the shade of his oak tree.

"Shika-kun?"

He sighed, and let his eyes close slowly. Maybe, He thought as his eyelids flickered closed, If I am still she will go away.

"Are you sleeping?" She asked him, bending down so that her hair tickled his nose.

Shikamaru sniffed and turned his head.

"I know you are faking, I saw you with your eyes open!"

"No you didn't I closed them before you got here!" He retorted, sitting up so quickly that he knocked both of them over, his hands on either side of her head as he held himself up. Ino merely grinned like a cat who caught the canary.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Shika." She purred, her tiny, pale fingers reaching up and tangling in his messy hair, peeling the dried leaves and grass out as she ran her fingers through it.

Shikamaru was frozen, his eyes stuck on her face as she cooed and clicked her tongue at him. Finally he shook his head, a blush creeping upon his cheeks.

He pushed himself off of her and scowled, his eyes immediately averting her own as she scooted towards him.

"You got some green stuff on your pants." She said, her fingernail rubbing at the giant splotch of green that stained his knees.

Shikamaru growled in frustration, as his mother walked out the door with a smile and called them both over to the house as she leaned against the back door.

Shikamaru glared at Ino and stood, walking to his mother quietly.

"Shikamaru what did I tell you!" His mother yelled as she stalked towards him. "Now you can't go!"

_Stupid girls_..He thought, rolling his eyes as his mother grabbed him by the elbow and rushed him to the bathroom to get the stain out...

* * *

Later that day he sat on the swing, his eyes glaring at his feet as Ino sat in front of him with her lip struck out at him.

"What?" He growled, his eyes slanting as she leaned forward, looking up at him from the veil of his wet hair.

"I've never seen you with it down.." Ino said, her eyes wide and innocent as she peeked up at him. Shikamaru snorted.

"Yeah and you'll never see it again."

Ino giggled, sitting up on her knees as she took a small strand in between her lips. Shikamaru pulled his head back, splashing her with droplets of water as his hair flung over to the back of his head. "What the heck were you doing?" He asked, his eyes wide as she sat with her elbows on his lap, he pushed them off.

"Getting the water drop." She said, her fingers reaching up and tweaking a strand so that it stood straight out from the side of his head. She giggled.

Shikamaru just sat there paralyzed as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Your hair is soft." She whispered, as she kissed his cheek, before skipping away from the rope swing and settling over his sand box.

"Wanna play house?" She asked, turning towards him with wide, cerulean ovals. Shikamaru glared daggers at her.

"No. you know I hate playing that stupid game." He said, looking away from her as she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

"B-but, Shika-kun." She whined, folding her chubby fingers over his his own. Shikamaru noticed how dark his skin was compared to hers. For the first time he noticed how white she was. Like she was never outside.

"Fine fine." He sighed, heaving himself off of the swing and dragging his sneakered feet to the sand box. "What now?"

"Well," She tapped her little fingernail agianst her chin thoughtfully. "You can be the tired husband who comes home from work...and I will make you feel better?"

Shikamaru merely shrugged and walked a little farther from the sandbox, waiting until Ino was settled back in the sand before he drug his feet over there, pretending to open an invisible door, and setting his 'hat' and 'briefcase' down, he meandered to the middle of the sandbox and plopped down tiredly, groaning as sand went up his nose.

"Oh Shika-kun!" She cried, hurrying over to him.

Shikamaru peered over at her through a half lidded eye. Her face striking him as odd as she looked down at him.

"Shika-kun!" Her voice really sounded truly concerned as she placed a hand on his cheek.

Her tiny hands cupped his face as she kissed his forehead, like he had seen his mother do to his father. And her mother do to her father too..

"What?" He drawled tiredly, his voice fitting his part as he blinked up at her. Where those actual tears? "What's wrong?"

"Your nose is bleeding!" She cried, blinking tears back as she grabbed the side of her dress and dabbed his nose with it. "Are you hurt?"

She looked down, noticing that it had somehow gotten all over the front of his shirt.

"I'm fine." He grumbled as he plugged up that side of his nose by pressing his finger to the nostril. "Quite being such a baby."

Ino's face twisted up with hurt. "Well excuse me for being concerned!" she yelled, causing Shikamaru to cover his ears.

Ino kicked sand at him as she climbed out of the box. "Take care of yourself, you big baby!"

Shikamaru sat up, his finger still pressed against his nose. What did he do?

* * *

Ino awoke to the sound of tapping on her window.

"What? Who is it? It is dark outside?" She mumbled as she swayed out of bed, her hands clutching her night gown as she meandered over to the window.

"Shika-kun?" She whispered harshly, her eyes slanting as she glared at him. He tapped on the window again, motioning with his finger for her to open up.

She did.

"What do you want?" She huffed, turning her head away and crossing her arms over her chest. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye.

Shikamaru smiled sheepishly, holding up a pie pan full of mud. "I made this for you, you know...because you always make me one when I feel bad."

Ino turned to him and took the pie, setting it on her window sill. "You were wrong." She said as she sat down beside him, closing the window as she watched him shiver.

"What?" He said, turning toward her with a curious expression.

"You were wrong." She said again, a smile slipping across her features.

"About what?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as she scooted closer to him on the window seat.

"Your hair is down again."

Ino giggled as he pulled it up into a ponytail.


	5. Friends

**Friends.**

_by: ScarletLettersInTheSnow_

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* * *

_

Ino fell back onto the grass with a huff, wiping her forehead of the sweat that had started to bead upon her brow after an intense game of tag, which ended when Shikamaru tripped over his own shoe laces. Ino giggled and fell down a few feet from him. She let her head fall to the side, her eyes fixed on a blade of grass that was inches away from her lashes.

"There are tiny bugs," She mumbled, her hand flopping down over the smooth blade and peeling it from the ground, she held it up to the sunlight to inspect it further. "Come look Shika!" She called, sitting up anxiously and looking over to where he lay, eyes closed with his arms behind his head, propping it up.

She smiled and stood, grunting slightly as she almost toppled over her own feet, she quietly stalked over to him, her shadow blocking out the sun that was shining upon his eyelids.

But Shikamaru did not look up at her, nor did he move when she sat upon his stomach and probed his armpit with a small pale finger. "Wake up." She whispered, "Or I will kiss you."

Shikamaru peeled his left eye open, and sat up, causing Ino to fall off of him.

He looked at her with hazy eyes, reaching up to wipe his eyes as he looked her over with a frown. "Whhhat?" He drawled lazily, flopping back when he did not recieve an answer.

"Do you think we will be friends forever, Shika?" She asked, her pale face scrunching up in discomfort.

"Why wouldn't we be? I don't see you leaving me alone long enough not to consider me your friend." He said, his scowl only deepening as he thought on it.

"So you don't like to be my friend?" She asked ever so quietly, turning over onto her stomach, her hand flopping onto his own, where she picked at his fingers.

"I didn't say that..you did." He replied, looking down at their hands, then pulling his away.

"But that doesn't answer my question," She murmured, pushing her body up from a laying position, then to her feet.

"Maa." Shikamaru groaned, peeking up at her through a half lidded eye as she walked away. He sat up immediately. "Where are you going?"

She did not answer, or even turn to look at him.

She only kept walking.

* * *

Shikamaru walked a few feet behind her, a scowl twisted upon his features as he hid behind trash cans and people passing by, benches and any bush that was available as he followed her.

He did not like the idea of following, although he did this with Ino on a daily basis. Picking out any random villager and watching their daily habits, hiding suddenly behind any object o merely standing out in the open and holding hands, as she squealed in delight and pulled him over to a stray dog, or made him help pick up trash with her.

He had gained some high quality sneaking skills if he did say so himself, He felt a smile tug at his lips.

He returned his gaze to the girl that was walking slowly away, her purple dress standing out as he slipped in between legs of grown ups and through an pair of people who were kissing- Shikamaru shivered. Kissing was disgusting, especially that one time Ino tried to put her tongue in his mouth. She said something like, "Mommy and Daddy do it!" While she continued to try to kiss him. He shuddered, and looked up from his hiding place, which was currently a garbage can, as he followed not too far behind.

He watched her walk into the Flower Shop, and suddenly he stopped, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out why she had gone home.

Had he said something wrong?

He didn't think he did, which probably with him being Ino's friend, meant that he had infact said something wrong to hurt her feelings, but he was stumped.

Shikamaru slowly meandered over to the shop, his small hand grasping the handle and pulling it back with all his might- why did doors have to be so hard to open? Shikamaru sighed heavily and walked to the counter, where Ino's mother was hunched over a bundle of colorful flowers, humming some unfamiliar tune and every once in a while saying the words,"Kiss my eyes," with a dreamy expression.

Shikamaru's eyes slanted as a small brown brow perked towards his hairline. 'kiss my eyes?' He almost laughed. That must have been the most ridiculous thing he had heard since Ino asked him what clouds were made of.

Suddenly, Ino's mother turned around with a shocked expression, "Shika-chan, hello there." She gasped, her hand on her chest as she blinked down at him, a smile soon appearing on her features. "You scared me."

Shikamaru blushed, his hands sliding into his pockets as he looked away from her. "Is Ino here?" He asked, although he already knew she very much was.

"Yes dear, she just went up stairs." She replied, a sly smile spreading over her lips as she shooed him towards the stair case. "Go on, you can go up."

Shikamaru nodded and started up the stairs, his small tan fingers gripping the rail nervously. He hated stairs, or to be more specific, he hated heights. So with one foot he stepped up, then the other and stood there for a moment, staring at the next step, and the next until he was at the top. He dare not look back, for fear he might fall.

He scampered away from the stairs quickly enough though, and within seconds he found himself knocking on a purple colored door, with little flowers painted sporadically across it's front.

The door knob twisted slowly, and a blond head popped out, a red rimmed, puffy eye visible under her messy bangs. "What do you want, Shikamaru?" She asked, her voice sounding stressed and forced.

"I wanted to know why you left me at the park." He said, pushing her door open farther so that he could come in.

Ino tried to hold the door shut, but gave up as he brushed past her.

"I didn't want to play anymore." She huffed, crossing her arms as she looked away from him.

Shikamaru sighed. "What did I do Ino?" He asked quietly, walking over to her and pushing her bangs back behind her ear with a dirty hand.

Ino bit her lip and pushed herself away from him, stalking over to her bed. "Nothing." She spat, sitting on her bed and looking away. "Why do you care, you don't want to be my friend any way."

Shikamaru's eyes widened slightly, his hands sliding into his pockets as he meandered over to her bed, his little eyes set on her own.

So that was what this was about.

Shikamaru knelt down, peering up under the shield of blond hair with a small smile. "Ino we will always be friends, you know that."

Shikamaru grunted in surprise as she flung herself at him, her tiny pale arms wrapping around his neck as she laid a kiss on his tightly shut eyelids.

He blinked up in surprise, a blush spreading over his tan cheeks as he looked up at her.

"Really, Shika?" She asked, her nose scrunching up in delight.

Shikamaru could only nod as she sat up, pulling him to his feet, her hand still clutching his own tightly.

"You wanna play house?"

Shikamaru groaned.

_Somethings never change..._


	6. Seashells

**Sea Shell**

_by: ScarletLettersInTheSnow_

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* * *

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Shikamaru stood with his hands pressed deep inside his pockets, his fingers wrapped around a small coin with a scowl etched onto his pale features. He watched the water lap up ondo the crisp golden sand, the way the light reflected off of the surface and dances across his swimming trunks.

With a scowl he located Ino bent over with a bucket in her hand, the other peeling back her blond tresses, which had grown half an inch from last month. It now hung down to her shoulders, a record length for Ino, who loved her hair short.

Shikamaru idly made his way over to her, his spying eyes peering over her rump to watch as she picked up some shiny white things out of the sand, and tossed them into her pale.

"What are you doing?" He asked, crouching down beside her to watch as she picked up a small circular, disk-like shell.

Ino didn't answer him, merely smiled and shook her head, before digging in the sand with his yellow shovel, and pulling up some sort of creature.

"What is that?" He asked again, this time he waddled over to the pale, and lifted it up to his face for a better look.

"It's a sea shell dumby." She said, snatching her pale and trudging down the shore. "And you can't have one."

Shikamaru looked up at her dumbfoundedly and scowled. He supposed the best things in life were free, and who was Ino to say he couldn't have one.

Shikamaru cut his eyes at her, and slowly made his way over to her pale while she was bent over on a set of rocks not too far away, and grabbed the circle thing from before and shoved it into his pocket.

"What are you doing over here?" Ino called from the rocks, holding a dried up looking peice of wood in her hands threateningly.

"Just looking." He lied, wrapping his fingers around the white object in his pocket, before turning on his heel and toeing a rock around as he walked back to their mothers.

_I win_. He thought, looking back at Ino as she skipped away with her pale.

Who said he couldn't have a Seashell too?


End file.
